Non Invasive Archives - Dr. Sudhir S. Shetkar

Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring

Dr. Sudhir Shetkar — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 09:46:39 +0000

- 24 Hours Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) measures blood pressure at regular intervals. It is believed to be able to reduce the white coat hypertension effect in which a patient’s blood pressure is elevated during the examination process due to nervousness and anxiety caused by being in a clinical setting.

By measuring your blood pressure at regular intervals over 24 hours, your doctor is able to get clear pictures of how your blood pressure changes throughout the day.

The uses of Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring :

To obtain a twenty-four hour record – more reliable than one-off measurements.
To detect white coat hypertension.
To see how well your medicines are working, to make sure they are controlling your blood pressure through the day.
To see if your blood pressure stays high at night. If this is the case, they may need to change or adjust your medicines.
To find out if your high blood pressure readings in the clinic are much higher than they are away from the clinic (called the “white coat effect”).

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Electrocardiogram

Dr. Sudhir Shetkar — Fri, 20 Jan 2017 16:50:07 +0000

Electrocardiogram (ECG) :

The electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) is a diagnostic tool that is routinely used to assess the electrical and muscular functions of the heart.

The heart is a two stage electrical pump and the heart’s electrical activity can be measured by electrodes placed on the skin. The electrocardiogram can measure the rate and rhythm of the heartbeat, as well as provide indirect evidence of blood flow to the heart muscle.

ECG Basics :

ECG Rate
ECG Rhythm
ECG Axis Calculation
Lead positioning

When an ECG is used :

An ECG is often used alongside other tests to help diagnose and monitor conditions affecting the heart.

It can be used to investigate symptoms of a possible heart problem, such as chest pain, suddenly noticeable heartbeats (palpitations), dizziness and shortness of breath.

An ECG can help detect :

Arrhythmia

During an Arrhythmia, the heart can beat too fast, too slow, or with an irregular rhythm. A heartbeat that is too fast is called Tachycardia. A heartbeat that is too slow is called Bradycardia.

Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the United States for men and women. Coronary heart disease is caused by the buildup of plaque in the arteries to your heart. This may also be called hardening of the arteries.

Heart Attack

Most Heart Attacks are caused by a blood clot that blocks one of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries bring blood and oxygen to the heart. If the blood flow is blocked, the heart is starved of oxygen and heart cells die.

Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy is disease in which the heart muscle becomes weakened, stretched, or has another structural problem. It often occurs when the heart cannot pump or function well.

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2-D Echo With Colour Doppler (Adult & Pediatric)

Dr. Sudhir Shetkar — Fri, 20 Jan 2017 16:40:17 +0000

2-D Echo With Color Doppler

Two-Dimensional Echocardiogram (2D Echo) It is a test in which ultrasound is used to picture out the heart. It is capable of displaying a cross sectional “slice” of the beating heart, including the chambers, valves and the major blood vessels that exit from the left and right part of the heart.

The procedure typically takes about 5 to 10 minutes, but may be longer if additional pictures and calculations are needed. Echo imaging is sometimes challenging in people who are very thin, obese, or have lung disease such as COPD.

The test is performed for a variety of reasons :

To detect abnormal heart valves i.e. the atria and the ventricles which are concerned with the distribution of blood.
To check for any congenital heart disease.
To observe for any damage that the heart might have taken after a heart attack.

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Stress 2D Echo

Dr. Sudhir Shetkar — Fri, 20 Jan 2017 16:40:10 +0000

Stress 2D Echo

A stress test sometimes called a treadmill test or exercise test, helps physicians find out how well the heart handles stress. As the body works harder during the test, it requires more oxygen and the heart has to pump more blood. The test can show if the blood supply is reduced in the arteries that supply the heart. It also helps doctors know the kind and level of exercise appropriate for a patient.

ECG treadmill testing as the first choice for patients with medium risk of coronary heart disease based on the risk factors of smoking, family history of coronary stenosis, hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol.

To detect Coronary artery disease.
To assess functional capacity of patient.

Test Overview

The patient runs on a treadmill while connected to an electrocardiogram (ECG) machine, usually with the standard 10 connections used to record a 12-lead ECG. The level of exercise is increased in 3-minute stages of progressively increased grade (% incline) and speed (mph, km/h, etc.). The patient’s symptoms and blood pressure response are repeatedly checked. When using ECG and blood pressure monitoring alone the test is variously called a cardiac stress test, exercise stress test, exercise treadmill test, exercise tolerance test, stress test or exercise ECG test.

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Holter Monitoring

Dr. Sudhir Shetkar — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 21:39:42 +0000

- Holter Monitoring

A Holter monitor is a continuous tape recording of a patient’s EKG for 24 hours. Since it can be worn during the patient’s regular daily activities, it helps the physician correlate symptoms of dizziness, palpitations (a sensation of fast or irregular heart rhythm) or black outs.

Why the Test is Performed :

To evaluate chest pain that cannot be reproduced with exercise testing.
To evaluate other signs and symptoms that may be heart-related, such as tiredness, shortness of breath, dizziness, or fainting.
To identify irregular heartbeats or palpitations.
To assess risk for future heart-related events in certain conditions, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
To see how well an implanted pacemaker is working.
To determine how well treatment for complex arrhythmias is working.

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